Considering moving from PowerBuilder to Python

[Norm Goertzen]

I've posted a previous question about IDEs and got some good feedback,
thanks, but it does seem that everyone has their own favourite IDE -- in
other words, no IDE was repeatedly recommended.

So, is there any data on the popularity of IDEs (most users), or is
there a chart comparing the most popular versions.

I'M NOT AFRAID TO SPEND SOME MONEY TO GET THE RIGHT IDE (but I don't
want to change products once I've chosen).

Also, can I use Sybase's SQL Anywhere with Python?

I'm really only interested in programming for Windows XP. But I also
really would like to find something very close to Sybase's patented
datawindow technology -- it's a real time-saver.

Finally, is there any (realistic) way to mix PowerBuilder and Python?
For instance write a Python shell that calls PowerBuilder methods (or
vice versa).

Thanks again,
Norm

[James Sungjin Kim]

Norm Goertzen wrote:

I'm really only interested in programming for Windows XP.

It is warned that the sequal is not directly related to the your
question. However, hope that it helps your decision to move from the old
stuff to the new stuff. The thing is that as you decideded to change
your main programming language, why you don't turn to change your
programming environment too. If you start to use Java, no more need to
be dependent on one specific os. If you have any interest in my
suggestion, please visit Jython (www.jython.org).

Declrare that I have no relationship with the developement of Jython.

-James Gold

[Harlin Seritt]

For:
<snip>
So, is there any data on the popularity of IDEs (most users), or is
there a chart comparing the most popular versions.
</snip>

Hi Norm,

You can do a Google search for these sorts of things like opinions and
comparisons. Believe me, there are more blogs and articles on these
things than you can shake a stick at :-).

Harlin Seritt
Internet Villa: www.seritt.org

[Bryan Olson]

Norm Goertzen wrote:

I've posted a previous question about IDEs [...]

Python is a fine scripting language; it isn't centered on a
particular IDE, and doesn't really serve the same market as
Powerbuilder. Building an app in Python is a far lower-level
process than building one in Powerbuilder, and Powerbuilder's
mastery of databases is unmatched by anything available for
Python.
--
--Bryan

[Wolfgang Keller]

> Also, can I use Sybase's SQL Anywhere with Python?

I'm really only interested in programming for Windows XP. But I also really
would like to find something very close to Sybase's patented datawindow
technology -- it's a real time-saver.

Finally, is there any (realistic) way to mix PowerBuilder and Python? For
instance write a Python shell that calls PowerBuilder methods (or vice
versa).

For Sybase-specific questions there's gmane.comp.python.sybase... >;->

Sincerely,

Wolfgang Keller

[malv]

Norm Goertzen wrote:

I've posted a previous question about IDEs and got some good feedback,
thanks, but it does seem that everyone has their own favourite IDE -- in
other words, no IDE was repeatedly recommended.

So, is there any data on the popularity of IDEs (most users), or is
there a chart comparing the most popular versions.

I'M NOT AFRAID TO SPEND SOME MONEY TO GET THE RIGHT IDE (but I don't
want to change products once I've chosen).

Also, can I use Sybase's SQL Anywhere with Python?

I'm really only interested in programming for Windows XP. But I also
really would like to find something very close to Sybase's patented
datawindow technology -- it's a real time-saver.

Finally, is there any (realistic) way to mix PowerBuilder and Python?
For instance write a Python shell that calls PowerBuilder methods (or
vice versa).

Thanks again,
Norm

Hi Norm,

I was kind of in your situation wherby I had to do a lot of python
programming under XP. This was in a major porting project to linux.
Although you have a choice of IDE's, a good one is very important. I
finally settled for eric3. This one is Qt based making use of PyQt
bindings (also SIP and Qscintilla). You have to realize that all IDE's
practically bind you to one framework or another.
I must say that being first rather gnome based, Qt turned out to be a
superb environment, both under XP as under linux. In fact going from
one to the other was absolutely effortless. You still will have to buy
a Qt3 license for windows. A Qt4 free version is now available for
windows, but I don't think that PyQt is ready for it.
As of late, I installed eric3 on linux Suse 9.3 and was happily
surprised to find out that I didn't have to bother with installing Qt,
PyQt, etc. It was all there. Qt3 also turned out to be great with
C/C++, which I'm not really using much, I admit.
They also have an SQL module, includinc Sybase drivers. I have been
using MySQL without Qt support using MySQLdb.

[James (Sungjin) Kim]

malv wrote:

As of late, I installed eric3 on linux Suse 9.3 and was happily
surprised to find out that I didn't have to bother with installing Qt,
PyQt, etc.

FYI, I installed eric3 on Windows XP.
It is one of the nice IDE environments for Python.
If I must say some bad point of it, I want to reaveal that there are
some mistakes in the editing window based on my experience.

-James Gold

[Norm Goertzen]

Wolfgang Keller wrote:

But I also really would like to find something very close to Sybase's
patented datawindow technology -- it's a real time-saver.

BTW: As most readers (including me) probably don't know Powerbuilder:
What is a Datawindow? Some kind of data-aware GUI widget?

Sincerely,

Wolfgang Keller

Exceprted from the PowerBuilder Journal...

The DataWindow is nothing more than an array of structures with many
powerful and fast functions wrapped around it. True, one of the things
it can do is generate SQL statements based on the data in this structure
array, but this is by no means its only use. Many PowerBuilder
developers think of using DataWindows or DataStores only when database
access is involved. As a result they often create extra, unnecessary
work. For example, I've often been astonished to see structure arrays
declared and manipulated manually in PowerBuilder applications. What's
the point of doing this when you can load your data into a DataStore and
work with it using fast, precoded DataStore functions? Why loop through
a structure array to find a particular value when you can use the Find()
function? DataStores are structure arrays on steroids.

.... end of excerpt

I really wish I could find a crystal ball and determine (once and for
all) the best new language to use. C#.NET is proving to be a much more
complex system than I think it needs to be. In my mind, the best
language would be one that takes care of EVERYTHING that can safely
assumed -- I should never have to write another low-level routine.
Although the comparison is far from perfect, I remember being able to
roll-out a small database application using R:Base in about 60 minutes
(including 3 data entry forms and 3 reports). Nowadays, if I use
PowerBuilder, it takes me at least 4 hours. In C#.NET, I'm afraid it
will take at least 10 hours.

thanks,
Norm

[Dennis Lee Bieber]

On Sun, 04 Sep 2005 19:12:07 GMT, Norm Goertzen <no**@normgoertzen.com>
declaimed the following in comp.lang.python:

roll-out a small database application using R:Base in about 60 minutes
(including 3 data entry forms and 3 reports). Nowadays, if I use
PowerBuilder, it takes me at least 4 hours. In C#.NET, I'm afraid it
will take at least 10 hours.
Doesn't sound like a fair comparison... You are going from a domain
specific language to a general purpose language. R:Base is probably in a
category similar to using Access/JET. PowerBuilder to Visual FoxPro. C#
to Java...

You wouldn't want a "do-everything" language either -- just look at
the popularity of PL/1 <G> {Chinese menu, where the columns are FORTRAN,
COBOL, and ALGOL}
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[Wolfgang Keller]

> Although the comparison is far from

perfect, I remember being able to roll-out a small database application using
R:Base in about 60 minutes (including 3 data entry forms and 3 reports).
Nowadays, if I use PowerBuilder, it takes me at least 4 hours. In C#.NET,
I'm afraid it will take at least 10 hours.

For Database-specific development, there are a number of options
available to simplify working with Python:

- Dabo
- Pythoncard
- Kexi
- Rekall
- Gemello
- Kiwi/Gazpacho
- TinyERP
- GNUe

Sincerely,

Wolfgang Keller